Drinking cup



Dec. 23, 1952 w, Wl -Ruini 2,622,420

DRINKING 'CUE Y Filed .July fr.' 1949UIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIHIIIIIIHHlj-lHIMIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE INVENTOR.

631 Na/Mam@ Patented Dec. 23,h 1952 Y f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEDRINKING CUP William W. Rice, Chicago,y Ill. Application-July v, 1949,serial No. 103,447

(c1. fis- 13)- 1 Claim.

Thisv invention relates to certain, new and useful improvements, in avdrinking cup provided with one or. more drinking nipples and anl objectof this. invention is to provide a1 simple and. improvedv arrangementfor controlling the ow of uid from the cup through either of thenipples.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drinking cup of thecharacter hereinafter described which may be manufactured at, an eco'-nomical cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drinking cup especiallyadapted for use by infants, and one which is provided with a simple andimproved arrangement permitting the inrant to receive the fluid from thecup without danger of theY infants spilling the same or receiving anexcessive amount.v In this respect the cup isv exceptionally useful'4during the teething period of the infant, this by reason of the factthat the infant can use the drinking or feeding nipple as a teethingelement.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cup of thischaracter which will be especially useful to bedridden patients, the.cup being provided with a simple and improved arrangement whereby thepatient or attendant may control or regulate the flow of the uid fromthe cup through the drinking nipple while the patient is at rest eitherin. a sitting or lying position in the bed or chair.

Another and equally important object of the invention is the provisionof a drinking cup of the character hereinafter described which comprisesparts readily and easily removed for cleansing purposes.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 2--2 ofFig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the same;

Fig. 4 is a plan view similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating the regulatorin position for removal;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the regulator employed in the invention;and

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 6 6 ofFig. 5.

The several objects of my invention are accomplished. by' the preferredform of construction shown in the accompanying drawing. In thesedrawings the cup is indicated at It. This cup may be formed of anysuitable material. Such cup comprises a cup section II and a cover I2telescopically arranged together as shown. This is accomplished byproviding on the cover I 2 a depending flange I 3 which is adapted tosnugly t within the peripheral edge portion I4 of the cup section I I.

Thisv cup section IIv is provided with one or more handles I5 of anyapproved shape or construction.

The cover provides a top wall I6 disposed in a plane below the wall I'I.

Formed preferably as an integral part of the cover I2 is a drinking orfeeding nipple I8. Such nipple provides an upwardly and outwardlyinclined passage I9 through which the fluid from the cup section I0 mayflow.

OppositeA this nipple I8 and preferably likewise formed as an integralpart of this cover I 2 is a second drinking or feeding nipple 20. Thissecond nipple 20 like the nipple I3 has an upwardly' and outwardlyextending passage 2I formed therein and like the passage I9 communicates with the cup section II.

Formed in this nipple 20 and extending in a horizontal plane and at anangle with respect to the passage 2l is an opening 22. This opening 22is adapted to be closed by a flexible valve 23 formed as an integralpart of a regulator 24,

Such regulator 24 is in the form of an elongated rod land provides atits end opposite the valve 23 a knurled finger knob 25 to facilitatemoving the rod longitudinally of its length as well as to rotate thesame. Between the knob 25 and the enlarged shank 26, from which shankextends the valve 23, the regulator is of reduced diameter to provide anintermediate central portion 24 adapted for slidable movement through aguide opening 21 formed in a bridge bar 28. Entrance to the opening 21in a vertical direction is had through a slot 29 formed in the bar 28.The central portion 24 is provided with oppositely disposed fiatsurfaces 3i] which reduce the diameter of the central portion 24 betweenthese flat 'surfaces to a size such that will permit that portion of thecentral portion 24 to be freely passed through the slot 29, thereby toremove the regulator from the cover I2. However, when the regulator isrotated relative to the bridge bar 28, to a position to dispose thesedat surfaces in a horizontal plane, the regulator can only be movedtransversely of the bar 28 for purposes of disposing the valve 23 intoand from valve closing position with respect to the passage 2 I.

To limit the sliding movement of the regulator relative to the bar 28 inits movement to remove the valve 23 from valve closing position withrespect to the opening 2l, I provide on the central portion 24' a stoplug 3 l.

The valve 23 may have a counterbore 32 formed in its end portion toincrease its flexibility thereby to effectively seal the passage 2l whenthe valve 23 is disposed in valve closing portion with respect to suchpassage.

When my improved drinking cup is used by a baby or infant the nipple I8is employed for drinking or feeding purposes. The child will extract thecontents from the cup by sucking the same through the nipple as it woulddo in the case if a nursing bottle were employed. However, in order toreduce the efforts of the child during drinking or feeding, the mothermay adjust the regulator 24 relative to the bridge bar 28 to suchposition as will permit the flow of the fluid in such a manner as themother deems best.

It is intended that the nipple i8 be formed of semi-hard rubber or suchmaterial as may be used for teething purposes.

When my improved cup is used by bedridden patients or by patients whosephysical condition will not permit them to sit or stand upright whiledrinking, either nipple may be employed but preierably it is recommendedthat the nipple 29 be employed because the passage 2i is of a largerdiameter than the passage i8 of the nipple IS. By the use of theregulator 2t the patient may regulate the ilow of uid from the cup insuch volume as is most desirable for the patient.

On the other hand, the patient may close the passage i9 by pressing hisfinger over the outer end thereof and, when the valve 23 is moved fromvalve closing position with respect to the passage 2l, control the ilowof the uid from the cup through the passage 2 l. This is accomplished byremoving the nger from over the passage i9 to permit a steady flow ofthe fluid through the passage 2l in such volume as the patient maydesire.

The usefulness and simplicity of the construction of my improveddrinking cup is apparent from the foregoing.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into eiect, this is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come Within the scope of the appendedclaim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

A drinking cup comprising a cup section, a cover therefor having areduced portion frictionally insertable in the open top of the cupsection, nip-ples formed integral with said cover at oppositecorresponding sides thereof, with each nipple projecting upwardly andoutwardly from the side walls of said cover and each having a passagetherethroug-h communicating with the cup section whereby the contents ofthe cup section may be drunk from either side of said cover, a secondpassage formed in one of said nipples and bisecting said rst mentionedpassage in said nipple, and a regulator carried by the top Wall of saidcover between said nipples and provided with slidable valve meansadapted to project through said second `passage into said firstmentioned nipple passage to control passage therethrough.

WILLIAM W. RICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 489,923 Bouiter Jan. 17, 1893639,881 Bailey Dec. 26, 1899 1,072,588 Duncan Sept. 9, 1913 1,348,211Cross Aug. 3, 1920 1,380,481 Jennings June 7, 1921 1,509,734 LangleySept. 23, 1924 1,584,864 Kadavy May 18, 1926` 2,150,975 Mirati June 6,1939 2,306,550 Mailey Dec. 29, 1942 2,330,019 Vaughn et al Sept. 21,1943 2,372,281 Jordan Mar. 27, 1945 2,437,784 Laskin Mar. 16, 19482,533,726 Floyd Dec. l2, 1950

